Core of Problems
by SonicPlayer1225
Summary: A little one-shot about Pearl noticing Steven acting weird in the past few months, and consulting the man he wants to least talk with for help.


**A/N: Had this one-shot idea in my head for far too long.**

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She _couldn't_ believe what she was doing.

After letting out a huge sigh, the gem approached a man at the car wash, reading the newspaper under the cold, autumn breeze.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up, taking off his sunglasses.

"Pearl?" – he asked, confused. He didn't really see her much, mostly because of Rose, but the expression on her face seemed urgent – "What brings _you_ here?"

Pearl looked away, hiding her embarrassed blush from Greg.

"A-hmm." – Pearl cleared her throat once again – "I need your help."

Greg was surprised.

"Wait," – Greg paused in disbelief – " _You_ need _my_ help on something."

"Yes," – Pearl answered – "And that specific thing involves Steven."

Greg jumped.

"Is he hurt? Is something wrong?!"

"No-no-no, nothing like that." – Pearl said as Greg sat down in relief – "He's been… _acting_ weirdly for a few months now… Around his 13th birthday, to be exact."

"Continue," – Greg said, not having enough pieces of the puzzle in his head.

"He's been slacking off training with Connie, he's been disagreeing to go on missions. His last mission with us was 2 and a half months ago! He's been not doing _anything_ for weeks, and he's almost never talking to us." – Pearl paused – "He's been trying to make us make a door to his bedroom!"

Greg hummed in understanding, signaling Pearl to continue.

"He's been eating way more much than he used to, he's been getting taller at a very high rate, he's been so weird!" – she paused in her rant, seeing Greg laugh – "Wh-what's so funny?"

Greg calmed himself down – which took a few _minutes_ – to explain what's happening to Steven.

"Pearl," – Greg said, still chuckling – "There's nothing to worry abou-"

"What do you mean there's nothing to worry about?!" – Pearl said, starting to freak out – "He's been magically changing! It doesn't make sense!"

"Pearl, calm dow-"

"I DON'T WANT TO CALM DOWN, OLD MAN." – Pearl shouted, making Greg laugh even more

"L-ook, Pearl." – Greg said – "All humans go through a really weird period in their lives. It's called puberty."

"Never heard of that term, and it does not sound good."

"In this period, which roughly starts at the age Steven is, they tend to… change."

After an hour or so of Greg explaining it in detail, Pearl thanked him – which was hard for her – and went back to the temple.

She slowly walked in the house, noticing no one being there, other than Steven in his bedroom – with the new wall and door installed – doing whatever he does.

Pearl cringed, looking back at the last thing Greg told her.

' _Try to talk to him, see what bothers him, to ease the things between you. He may shout about things once in a while, but humans sometimes need to talk things that bother them out of themselves.'_

 _It couldn't hurt a try,_ Pearl half-optimistically thought.

She walked slowly to Steven's door, knocking.

A small groan could be heard, followed by a 'WHO IS IT?'

"It's Pearl!" – she paused – "Can I come in!"

She heard yet another groan, but this time, it was more of an annoyed groan.

"FINE. COME IN ALREADY."

Pearl stepped in the room, overwhelmed by the mess, but she resisted not to rant about that now, she knew it was for another time.

"How… uhm… are you, Steven?" – Pearl asked, feeling shy, looking at Steven's face, seeing something not being right. He was so open and honest about everything, and now he's keeping everything that's bothering him inside.

"I'm… fine, I guess." – he murmured, Pearl almost didn't even hear it. Pearl sat down next to him.

"Do you want… uhm… to talk, Steven?" – Pearl asked, fearfully. She didn't know what he could or would do. She hasn't really talked to him much in the last few months.

"Why would I want to talk?" – Steven turned at her, with a face that truly made her scared. She didn't really understand human emotions, so she was really, truly terrified.

"St-Steven." – Pearl stammered – "Is there something wrong?"

"THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME, OKAY!?" – Steven shouted, hitting the wall with his fist.

Steven then looked around, breathing heavily, first caught by Pearl's shocked, heck, _scared_ expression. He looked at his hands, and sighed. He hasn't talked to practically anyone for months. Just because of one stupid thing. And this is what happens. He _scares_ Pearl. He literally couldn't take the terrified look in her eyes. He was numb. He couldn't move. A tear quickly appeared in his eye, then more, and more, and more until he started crying. The tears moving down on his face were probably faster than light.

"Pearl," – he said with a harmless voice – "I'm so sorr-"

He was interrupted by Pearl hugging him as tight as he can. Pearl, at that moment, felt something she just realized she missed. She, sadly, always looked at Steven as Rose's child, the remainder of Rose. She just now realized how much she loves _Steven_. All this time she was afraid to lose Steven. But it was _not_ Steven himself she was afraid to lose. It was because he was the only remaining thing about Rose she ever had. She started crying, holding Steven tighter and tighter by the minute.

"Pearl," – Steven started – "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course," – Pearl answered, rubbing her eyes – "You can tell me anything."

"This has been bothering me for a few years," – Steven started – "Do you think it's _my_ fault?"

Pearl's expression quickly changed to confusion, yet she thought she knew what he was talking about.

"WH-what are you talking about?"

"Do you think that losing Mom was _MY_ fault?" – Steven asked, seeming to lose a lot of pressure, yet building up even more.

Pearl was shocked. Was this what has been bothering him? For _years?_ Sure, that isn't much in Gem standards but by a human, holding in this thought for _years?_

"Steven, I wouldn't th-"

"Say the truth!" – Steven turned to her, looking into her eyes, and putting his hands on her shoulders – "Say it while directly looking into my eyes."

"Steven, I- I didn't think you were… upset about this."

"Really?" – Steven tried to keep his calm, looking into her eyes – "You haven't noticed? You should know me by now! Didn't Garnet's future vision catch this? It's like I'm treated like a frame for Mom's portrait!"

He paused, calming himself down.

"Am I only that to you?"

Pearl was shocked. She didn't think _any_ of those things, and she didn't know what to say…

"So it's all true!" – Steven chuckled – "I _am_ nobody to you! All of you. Garnet, Amethyst, you, _even_ Dad, right? All of you were against me, right?"

Steven paused, with a little hope left, concentrating all of it on Pearl.

"NO!" – Pearl literally shouted – "We love you as much as we loved Rose, Steven! Maybe even more!" – she embraced him probably quicker than Steven's tears.

Steven was surprised at her burst, but then joined the hug.

"I just couldn't know how to express it until now. None of us really could, and the others may still can't. But trust me when I say this, Steven. We _do_ love you." – she hugged him even tighter. Starting to cry.

After a few minutes, Steven started talking in a really happy tone. A tone she didn't hear for a long time.

"Hey, Pearl," – he caught Pearl's attention – "Want to help me dismantle this wall?"

Pearl smiled.

"With pleasure." – Steven smiled too – "Right after you help me clean your room."

They both started laughing.

"No, seriously, we need to clean this mess up."

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 **A/N: This was** _ **emotionally**_ **hard to write for some reason. Seriously, I've been writing this for too long now.**


End file.
